Invitation: Canada Consul General Luncheon in California Feb. 27

Opportunities for economic development with California’s second leading trading partner will be the focus when Rana Sarkar, consul general of Canada, is hosted at the annual international trade luncheon by the Hayward Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 27.

The event is co-sponsored by the California State University, East Bay, College of Business and Economics.

The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Golden Peacock Banquet Hall and Conference Center, 24989 Santa Clara St., Hayward. Reservations must be made in advance at the chamber website www.hayward.org. Tickets are $25 apiece and will not be sold at the door.

“We are honored to be co-sponsors of this event and look forward to welcoming to Hayward a representative of California’s second largest trading partner and a historic ally,” said George Low, dean of the College of Business and Economics at Cal State East Bay. “Students, faculty, and staff from the College of Business and Economics as well as the public will have the opportunity to learn more about current issues in international trade by attending this event.”

“Hayward is a perfect place for the consul general to discuss the bright future for trade between our countries,” said Kim Huggett, president and CEO of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce. “Here at the center of the Bay Area a growing number of Hayward companies are keeping our chamber busy issuing certificates of origin for their exports.”

About Consul General Rana Sarkar

Mr. Sarkar was appointed consul general of Canada in San Francisco / Silicon Valley in 2017. He previously served as national director for high growth markets at KPMG Canada and co-chairman of the advisory board at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. From 2009 to 2013 he was president and chief executive officer of the Canada-India Business Council.

He co-founded Content Partners, a global content agency, and in 2001 the advisory firm Rawlings Atlantic Limited. He began his career as a consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in London and Munich and helped establish the company in India. He attended the London School of Economics, Queens University at Kingston, Ontario, and the INSEAD Executive Program in France.

Canada’s Impact on California and the Bay Area

According to the California Chamber of Commerce, Canada has remained California’s second largest export market (after Mexico) since 2006, with a total value of over $16.7 billion in 2017 (9.7 percent of all California exports), as well as exporting $9.2 billion in services to Canada. California imports $28.7 billion from Canada.

The California chamber’s Trading Partner Portal cites that computers and electronic products remained California’s largest exports, accounting for 33.5 percent of all California exports to Canada. Exports of agricultural products and food manufacturing from California to Canada totaled $3.72 billion. Transportation equipment and chemicals total $1.3 billion and $866 million, respectively. California imports from Canada were composed of transportation equipment, food manufactures, chemicals, and oil and gas.

According to the Canadian government, nearly $2 billion worth of goods and services crosses the Canada-U.S. border daily, the equivalent of over $1 million traded every minute.

Factoids from the California Chamber of Commerce:

There are 784 Canadian-owned businesses in California, employing more than 72,000 people statewide.

Canadian trade and investment supports 1,166,100 jobs in California.

Canada sells more to California than it sells to China.

According to the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totaled an estimated $673.9 billion in 2017.

Event Sponsors

Event co-sponsors with the Hayward Chamber of Commerce include the Consulate General of Canada; the City of Hayward; the California State University, East Bay, College of Business and Economics; the US Commercial Service, Mijosa LLC, PG&E, and the Russell City Energy Center.

Hayward Chamber of Commerce Speakers’ Series

Consul General Sarkar’s appearance is the latest in the Hayward Chamber of Commerce international trade luncheon series that has included Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok of India, Consul General Masato Watanabe of Japan, Consul General Felix Corona of Mexico, Hong Kong Trade Director Jeff Leung, and trade representative Yihang Yang from the Peoples’ Republic of China.

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